The afternoon sunlight streamed through the wire fence around the rooftop, casting dappled shadows across the ground. Karuizawa Kei stood before Hanyu Xiuyi, her blonde ponytail swaying gently in the breeze, but her expression was completely different from usual.
Gone was the deliberately dazzling smile, gone was the confidence of someone who had everything under control. At that moment, she was just an ordinary girl, her eyes darting nervously as she clenched her hands.
Hanyu didn't answer her question right away. Instead, he walked over to the bench, sat down, and patted the spot beside him.
"Let's sit and talk."
Karuizawa hesitated, but then walked over and sat down. They left about half a meter between them—not too close, not too far, just enough to make the conversation feel less intimidating.
"About your question just now," Hanyu said, gazing at the sky in the distance. "I can answer that. If someone found out about my past—things I didn't want anyone to know—what would I do?"
Karuizawa watched him tensely.
"I'd start by asking myself one question," Hanyu said. "Can my past really define who I am now?"
Karuizawa froze.
"Everyone has things in their past they don't want others to know," Hanyu continued. "Mistakes they've made, hurt they've suffered, weaknesses they're afraid to face... But those things are in the past. The choices I make now are what define who I am today."
He turned to look at Karuizawa. "So if someone tried to use my past to threaten me, I'd tell them, 'Go ahead. Even after you tell everyone, I'll still be who I am now. And you'll just be a pathetic loser attacking someone with their past.'"
Karuizawa's eyes widened slightly. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but ultimately lowered her head.
"But..." Her voice was barely audible. "What if the past is really awful? What if everyone looks at you differently once they find out?"
"Would they?" Hanyu countered. "Do you think everyone in Class D would look at you differently?"
Karuizawa's body trembled slightly.
"Would Hirata? Kushida? Sudō? Sakura?" Hanyu ticked them off one by one. "The people who fought alongside you on the island, the people who helped one another—would they reject who you are now because of your past?"
Karuizawa fell silent.
A long time passed before she spoke, her voice hoarse. "Hanyu... what if I told you someone was using my past to threaten me?"
Hanyu's gaze sharpened. "Ryuen?"
Karuizawa nodded, tears welling in her eyes.
"He sent someone to find me. They said they knew what happened when I was in middle school..." Her voice grew quieter. "If I don't do what he says, they'll tell the whole class..."
"What happened?"
Karuizawa looked up at Hanyu. Her eyes were full of fear and uncertainty, but at last she gritted her teeth and spoke.
"When I was in middle school, I was the one who got bullied."
Hanyu listened quietly.
"I was bullied every day... They locked me in the bathroom, hid my shoes, and talked about me behind my back... I didn't dare fight back or tell a teacher because that would only make things worse..." Karuizawa's voice shook. "Later, to keep them from bullying me, I started sucking up to them. I did things for them, ran errands for them, and even helped them bully other people..."
At last, tears spilled from her eyes.
"I knew it was wrong, but I... I was so scared... I was afraid that if I didn't do those things, I'd be the next one they bullied..."
Hanyu didn't say anything. He simply offered her a tissue.
Karuizawa took it, wiped her face clumsily, and continued. "When I got to high school, I thought I could start over. So I tried hard to act cheerful, get along with everyone, and become the center of the class... As long as I was at the center of a crowd, I wouldn't be isolated again..."
"But now," she said, her voice even quieter, "Ryuen's people found me and said that if I didn't cooperate with them, they'd tell the whole class about my past. They'll tell everyone that the Karuizawa Kei they know is just a coward who got bullied in middle school and ran errands for her bullies..."
She couldn't go on. She just lowered her head, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Silence fell over the rooftop. Only the wind whispered past them.
Hanyu Xiuyi looked at the girl before him. Karuizawa Kei, who was always smiling, always livening up the mood, always at the center of a crowd, was now just an ordinary girl enveloped by fear.
A long time passed before he spoke.
"Karuizawa, let me ask you something."
Karuizawa looked up at him through tear-blurred eyes.
"Did you want to do those things in middle school?"
Karuizawa froze.
"When you ran errands for them and helped them bully others, was it because you wanted to, or because you had no choice?"
"I..." Karuizawa opened her mouth. "I had no choice..."
"Where are the people who bullied you now?"
"I-I don't know... Maybe they're still at their old school..."
"How are they doing now? Better than you?"
Karuizawa thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't know..."
"I can tell you," Hanyu said. "They're probably somewhere, still bullying other people the same way. People like that can only prove they matter by bullying others. But you—"
He looked into Karuizawa's eyes and spoke slowly, one word at a time. "You've left that environment behind. You came to a new school, made new friends, and built a new life. You're not the girl who was bullied anymore, and you're not their accomplice. You're Karuizawa Kei, a member of Class D, and the person who carried Sakura for several kilometers on the island."
Karuizawa's tears flowed again, but this time they weren't from fear.
"Your past is just one part of your life," Hanyu continued. "It can't define who you are now. What defines you is the choices you make today—like choosing to tell me this, choosing to trust me, and choosing to encourage everyone on the island."
He paused. "Ryuen wants to threaten you with your past because he has no other way to get to you. All he can do is attack people with their scars. Someone like that isn't worth being afraid of."
Karuizawa looked at him as the fear in her eyes gradually gave way to another emotion.
"Hanyu..." she choked out. "Do you really think... everyone won't despise me?"
"Go ask them yourself." Hanyu stood up, walked to the rooftop door, and pushed it open.
Several people were standing outside.
Hirata Yousuke, Kushida Kikyo, Ken Sudō, Sakura Airi, Kanji Ike, and Yamauchi Haruki—along with Horikita Suzune and Ayanokoji Kiyonaga.
Karuizawa's eyes widened, and she froze in place.
"You... When did you...?"
"From the beginning," Hirata said gently, his blond hair gleaming in the sunlight. "Hanyu asked us to come. He said you might need everyone's support."
Tears spilled from Karuizawa's eyes once more.
Kushida walked over and gently embraced her. "It's okay, Karuizawa. Everyone has a past, but that doesn't matter. What matters is who you are now."
Sudō scratched his head, looking unusually sheepish. "Hey, Karuizawa, um... What happened in middle school wasn't your fault. If anyone gives you grief over it, I'll beat them up."
Sakura Airi timidly stepped forward and spoke in a quiet voice. "K-Karuizawa... You've helped me so many times... when I was scared... You're a good person..."
Ike and Yamauchi exchanged a glance, then stepped forward too. Ike said, "Um... We've made mistakes too. But Hanyu said that as long as you're willing to turn back, everyone will forgive you. So... you'll definitely be forgiven too."
Yamauchi nodded vigorously. "Yeah, yeah! We're all behind you!"
Horikita leaned against the doorway, her expression still cool, but her voice was much gentler than usual. "Karuizawa, a person's worth isn't determined by her past, but by what she can do for the future. You did well on the island. That's enough."
Surrounded by everyone, Karuizawa wept uncontrollably, but the corners of her mouth gradually lifted.
It was a genuine smile, not one she had forced herself to put on, but one that came from the heart.
Ayanokoji Kiyonaga stood at the back of the group, still wearing his usual expressionless look. But when Karuizawa glanced his way, he gave her a slight nod, making his feelings clear.
Hanyu Xiuyi stepped up to Karuizawa and held out his hand.
"Welcome home, Karuizawa."
Karuizawa looked at his hand, her vision blurred by tears. She reached out and clasped it tightly.
"Thank you... Thank you, everyone..."
The sunlight fell warmly and brightly across the rooftop. In that moment, Class D's unity reached an unprecedented height.
But Hanyu Xiuyi knew this was only the beginning. Ryuen wouldn't let things go. He certainly had another move up his sleeve.
All they could do was stick together and face whatever challenges came next.
In the distance, the school bell rang, signaling that afternoon classes were about to begin.
But for Class D, a new chapter had only just begun.
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